


ice, ice, baby

by rowdyhomo



Series: of floral and inks [2]
Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: F/F, Gen, Izumo is a tattoo artist/piercer, sequel to: vitriol spice and something nice, shiemi is a florist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-05 21:19:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13396428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowdyhomo/pseuds/rowdyhomo
Summary: shiemi plays the long game. izumo really doesn't mind.





	ice, ice, baby

“You don’t _hav’to_ do this, y’know.”

Shiemi swallows. The motion rough and dry from her anxiety. Her grip on her girlfriend’s hand tightens, whiting hers and Izumo’s knuckles. Izumo merely rubs her thumb soothingly across the back of Shiemi’s hand. The blonde trembles minutely before taking a deep, calming breath.

“No, I…I want to,” Shiemi assures, voice steadier than she feels.

Izumo makes a noise caught somewhere between disbelieving and supportive but she doesn’t protest further. She squeezes Shiemi’s hand then lets her grip fall lax.

There’s a long moment in which neither of them say or do anything.

Sounding all too amused, Izumo says, “Well, if you want me t’ actually get on with this you’ll have to let go of my hand. I need both of ‘em.”

Shiemi squeaks in embarrassment as she drops Izumo’s hand like a hot coal before sinking back into the chair. It reminds her all too much of the kind of chairs found in doctor’s offices. Creaking fake leather wrapped up in anxiety and all.

Izumo turns away, fiddling with her tools to give Shiemi a moment to compose herself.

It doesn’t help.

Stomach twisting up in knots, Shiemi’s hands flutter about herself nervously as she eyes the piercing needle. She’s not a fan of needles or otherwise sharp, pointy, and dangerous objects. Least of all wickedly curved, sharp, pointy, and dangerous looking needles. Yet, here she is, purposely allowing her girlfriend to bring one of these torture devices to bear on her. Shiemi wiggles in her seat, hands gripping the armrests of the piercing chair to keeps herself from nervously flapping her hands.

Oh, the things she’ll do for love.

Izumo turns about on her stool, needle and barbell piercing in hand. She eyes Shiemi with a raised questioning brow to which Shiemi can only nod. The red-eyed woman sighs in apparent exasperation but her lips curve into a comforting smile.

“This is gonna hurt,” Izumo warns. “Just keep breathing deeply and try to relax, ok? It’ll be over before you know it.”

Shiemi can’t do much else but nod, her throat clamped up and dry. She peels a hand from the chair and tugs up her loose shirt to her ribs, exposing her stomach.

“R-right! I’m ready!”

A hum, then Izumo is leaning forward to lightly pinch the skin of Shiemi’s navel. Shiemi doesn’t quite throw her head back but it’s a near thing. Carefully, forcefully, the blonde relaxes every muscle in her body until she is all but melted into the chair, eyes closed tightly.

“Alright, one…two…”

In, and out, in and out, its just like getting a shot at the doctor, it’s just like getting a shot at the doctor--!

Shiemi clamps down hard on the pained noise that tries to escape her as the hollow needle shoves through her skin without preamble. There’s more fiddling on Izumo’s end, futzing with the fitting of the actual piercing, then before Shiemi can think about squirming Izumo lifts her hands, finished.

“All done.”

Shiemi peaks open a single pouty eye, lower lip quivering.

“You didn’t even say three,” the blonde accuses, resisting the urge to pick at the still-present if less sharp pain.

Izumo looks apologetic, for all that she says with little sympathy, “Would it have hurt less?”

“No…,” concedes Shiemi, pouting nonetheless.

Izumo sighs, rolling her eyes as she quickly puts everything as it should be, then offers her outstretched arms to Shiemi. Immediately, the blonde moves from the chair to settle in Izumo’s lap. Izumo wraps her arms about her, giving her a careful squeeze.

“There, there,” intones the smaller woman, voice bland. She pats Shiemi’s back.

A watery laugh bubbles out from Shiemi as she buries her face in Izumo’s neck, breathing in the scent of her girlfriend. She slaps playfully at Izumo’s other shoulder.

“Don’t be _mean,_ ” whines Shiemi. “It _hurt_.”

Izumo chuckles, hand moving in soothing circles on Shiemi’s back.

“Mm, sorry, you really were brave, though, I know how much you hate needles,” says Izumo in consolation.

A glimmer of pride rises in Shiemi as she gives her girlfriend a tight squeeze in appreciation.

They sit there for a moment in silence, basking in each other’s company before Izumo asks, “So, you gonna tell me why you wanted t’ get pierced all of a sudden?”

Shiemi’s glad her face is hidden from Izumo’s view. The purple-haired woman is like a blood hound when it came to picking out secrets from expressions alone.

“Oh, I just saw it and thought it looked cute,” she answers blandly, cheerful as ever. She tries not to think too hard about one of their first conversations, when Shiemi had asked Izumo about her favorite kind of piercing to do was. Izumo has a(n) (un)fortunate ability of reading Shiemi’s mind when the blonde least expected it.

“Of course,” Izumo huffs, amused. Then, “This is permanent, y’know. You’re gonna take care of it diligently ‘til it heals—Actually, we should review how to properly.”

Shiemi groans.

“Izumo, I _know_. You’ve been going over piercing care ever since I told you I wanted one—” A beat. “—Three weeks ago,” adds Shiemi for emphasis.

Izumo stutters, “W-well! It’s important ok!”

Shiemi smiles sweetly into Izumo’s shoulder, even as the poor woman tenses up with flustered frustration, ranting about proper care. Her girlfriend is so cute. To keep the two of them from being here all day, Shiemi kisses Izumo, effectively shutting off her tirade.

“I know,” Shiemi says, kissing Izumo’s brow again. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

Izumo grumbles at that, face cherry red, but lectures Shiemi no further.

 

Several weeks after that, Shiemi wriggles into a white crop top she’s only just bought, following it up with a low riding, modestly short pink skirt. Flip flops go next, then finally the new navel piercing ornament Shiemi had ordered online a week prior with Shura’s help.

It’s a pretty thing, made up of two delicate chains that thread though her piercing. One, plain silver, dips down both sides from her belly button before coming back up to meet at the center at her back, accentuating her hips. The other is also a small silver chain, studded with fake pink gems, that wraps straight around her waist. Several smaller chains studded with red gems dangle from the front where the two chains meet, swaying as Shiemi moves.

Frankly, it’s gorgeous and Shiemi can’t wait to surprise Izumo with it. Humming, Shiemi snatches up her small clutch and makes a beeline for the nearest train station.

Getting to Izumo’s studio turns out to be a hassle.

Nobody bothers her directly or even makes to speak with her, but Shiemi can feel the eyes on her the entire train ride. They make her want to run right back to her and Izumo’s apartment and quickly stuff herself inside the nearest kimono, to hide away her muffin top and jiggly thighs in the straight unfeminine lines of traditional clothing.

There’s nowhere to go, though. Nothing to hide away with. It doesn’t stop Shiemi from trying. Her shoulders curve inwards and her head bows forward, hiding her eyes. Fingers fiddle with themselves and pick at the edge of her skirt.

Maybe she shouldn’t have done this, after all…?

A long moment passes, in which the stares continue to rake across her skin like pins and needles before Shiemi gives herself an internal shake. Shiemi hadn’t dressed for the public, these strangers, she’s dressed for _Izumo_. Izumo who has lain benediction on all her curves far too many times for Shiemi to doubt her girlfriend’s attraction to her. Izumo will enjoy her like this, she’s sure, and that’s the only opinion Shiemi cares for.

Crisis settled, the blonde defiantly squares her shoulders, drawing on courage born from her confidence in Izumo’s love of her. Shiemi breathes in deeply. Then exhales, blowing away her anxiety. Bubbly excitement builds in her belly, fluttering up her chest until she’s fit to burst. She really can’t wait to see Izumo’s reaction.

The train docks and Shiemi all but flounces out of it, driven by the fluttery eagerness nestling just behind her breastbone. Head held high, Shiemi strides confidently down the street to _Lady Bite_ before throwing open the door in a manner reminiscent of her and Izumo’s first meeting.

Shura is manning the front today, clad in what looks to be a very short sleeping kimono. The fiery-haired woman glances up from magazine she’s lazily flipping through. Once she catches sight of Shiemi, she _grins_.

“Ohoho, all dressed up an’ pretty fer Izumo, I see.” Violet eyes drop down to Shiemi’s decorative belly piercing and something like pride flashes across Shura’s expression. “Aw, an’ ya chose the one I picked out fer ya. Very cute.”

Flushing, and trying not to be too disappointed Izumo hadn’t been present for her dramatic entrance, Shiemi smiles back, “Of course! You’ve helped me so much and besides your fashion taste is a lot better than mine.”

Shura snorts inelegantly, her grin no less pleased. “’M sure Izumo would beg t’ differ. Speakin’ of, want me to get her?”

Shyly pressing her hands together, Shiemi nods.

“If she’s not too busy…?”

“Nah, she’s jus’ doin’ inventory.” Then she cups a hand to her mouth and hollers towards the back. “Oi, eyebrows! Shiemi’s here fer ya!”

Almost immediately, Izumo shrieks back, “Call me that again an’ I swear _I’ll fire you_!”

Shura cackles, unconcerned, as she returns her attention to the worried looking blonde. The elder woman flaps a dismissive hand in her direction, saying, “Aw, don’ worry ‘bout it. She says it all the time, but she’d never fire me ‘cause she knows no one else would work wit’ her bitter ass. All bark an’ no bite, ya know?”

Shiemi tries not to giggle…too much. She loves Izumo to death, but she is quite the spiteful thing more often than not.

From behind the ‘Employees Only’ door, a noise like screeching cat echoes, right before Izumo pushes through.

“I’m _not_ bitter, you old hag,” spits Izumo.

Eyes on Shura, Izumo completely misses Shiemi, as she and Shura continue flinging barbs until Shiemi politely coughs. Izumo breaks off mid insult, eyes glancing around for her girlfriend. Shiemi knows the exact moment Izumo registers what she’s seeing after her gaze settles on Shiemi. It’s when Izumo chokes on her tongue, trips over her own feet, and nearly brains herself on the reception counter.

In the background, Shura _howls_.

Flushing with pride that makes her want to puff up like a peacock, Shiemi resists the urge to rest her arms about her middle by instead spreading them wide. She does a little twirl to show off the entirety of her new belly chain.

Izumo makes a strangled noise behind her.

Beaming, Shiemi strikes a pose, noting how intently Izumo watches the move and sway of the delicate chains about her midsection, “Well, what do you think, Izumo? Does it suit me?”

A pause.

Silence.

Nervousness climbing up her throat with Izumo’s increasingly long silence, Shiemi can feel her smile falling away.

“Izumo...?”

Izumo’s gaze snaps to Shiemi’s, burning with so much _want_ that it does funny things to Shiemi’s insides. Butterflies tickle her stomach while an answering _need_ burns through her veins. Izumo doesn’t say a thing, simply stalks forward and snatches Shiemi’s wrist right before beginning to pull her out of the store.

“I-Izumo?!” exclaims Shiemi.

“We,” Izumo begins, eyes tracing over Shiemi’s form. “Are going home. To bed. And we are _not_ sleeping.”

“Oh, really?” giggles the blond, as she threads her fingers together with Izumo’s. “Happy third anniversary to you _and_ me, then.”

There’s a flash in Izumo’s eyes, a look of recognition, that sends her ears burning red.

“You got pierced ‘cause of me?" asks Izumo, bewildered. The woman shakes her head. "How’d you even know I liked this one that much?”

“I got pierced because I _wanted_ to. The fact that it also let me give you a very nice gift on our anniversary is just a bonus,” Shiemi corrects, smoothing a thumb over the back of Izumo’s hand. “As for how, it’s one of the first things I asked when we started dating. I remember thinking it was such a horrible ice breaker but, well, it turned out okay, right?”

Izumo doesn’t quite smile but Shiemi reads the affection, the embarrassment, and the love she’s feeling as she locks gazes with her all the same. It’s all in the eyes and brows. It’s also in the way the red flush high on her cheeks burns steadily downwards and Izumo’s hold tightens on Shiemi.

Quietly, like a secret, Izumo murmurs, “I think so.”

Shiemi knows Izumo is speaking about more than the piercing, is actually speaking about _them_ , in that round about way Izumo believes she must to protect herself. It's said with such unbearably tender, hopeful awe that Shiemi feels like dipping her girlfriend and kissing her senseless right then and there. Just to make sure Izumo knew how _loved_ she is.

Before she can, Izumo’s eyes dart to the now wheezing Shura, her body following. Then the red eyed woman snaps, “Oi! Lazy hag! You’re watching the shop for the rest of the day! I’m out.”

Shura splutters, “Wait— _what_?!”

Izumo doesn’t wait to hear whatever else the elder woman might have to say, tugging Shiemi after her as she all but sprints from _Lady Bite_. The two young women laugh as Shura shrieks after them, rushing towards the train station without looking back, their clasped hands never letting go.

**Author's Note:**

> i didn't mean to write a sequel but it wouldn't let me go so here we are.


End file.
